How Tournaments Work

What are Tournaments?

Tournaments are a series of games where players compete to win all the chips being played. Unlike regular games where players can quit and cash out whenever they choose, players in tournaments play until they are eliminated or have been crowned the winner. Hollywood Poker tournaments can boast some of the biggest pots and best prizes to be won anywhere, including seats at the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker!

Check out the Tournament Calendar!

Multi-Table Tournaments

There are several different types of tournaments, but the kind played at Hollywood Poker are known as Multi-Table, the most popular type. There are several tables with many players. Separate games are played at each table. The goal, obviously, is to win all the chips at the table you've started at, then move on to the next table, and the next, and so on. As players are eliminated over the course of the games, the tables are "balanced" and players are shuffled into other ones as tables are taken away. This keeps the number of players at the tables as even as possible. As play goes on, the number of tables dwindles until there is just one table left.

At the final table, play continues as normal and players are eliminated once they've lost their chips. When the last of the chips has been won and there is only one player remaining, the tournament is over.

Tournament Payouts

Payouts generally include all the players at the final table, where the big money goes to the winner and the others receive prizes based on their final position in the rankings.

You probably noticed that some of the tournaments have labels such as "$20+2" and "$100+10." What this means - in a $20+2 tournament, for example - is that $20 from each player goes into the prize pool and $2 from each player goes to the house. So if there were 200 people in the tournament, the prize pool would be as high as $4,000!

Tournament Strategies

Luck is an important factor in winning, but it will only get you so far. You're going to have to make your own luck by playing smart. Here’s how:

Get comfortable. If you're going to be a winner, you might be sitting in the same seat for an hour or two. So make sure you've got a comfortable chair and that drinks and munchies are close at hand.

Play tight and aggressive. If you're constantly betting and folding on the pre-flop, sooner or later you're going to run out of money. So be conservative. Pick your battles. When you do bet, be aggressive about it to keep your opponents guessing. But keep an eye on the other aggressive players, too: you can be sure they're just waiting to take you out with a monster hand.

Watch the chip stacks. The more chips a player has, the less those chips are worth. Think about it: if you have a hundred chips, it's no big deal to lose three of them. You can afford it, because if you lose three you’ll still have plenty left over. On the other hand, if you’ve only got three chips, you’re up the proverbial creek if you lose them. You might even be out of the game – and the tournament.

This is why it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your opponents' stacks. It's more likely you'll be called All-In by someone with a large stack in front of them than someone with fewer chips who can't afford to do it. By the same token, you can be more aggressive towards the short-stacked players by forcing them to go All-In or fold. Go ahead! Be a hardass! Make them pay to see what you've got.

For more poker tips and tactics, visit our Poker School. 

Get Started With Tournaments

Once you're comfortable that you understand tournaments and want to participate in one, you'll need to create an account, enable it for Real Money, and then make a deposit. When that's done, go to the tournament calendar or Featured Tournaments and choose your competition!

Tournament Rules

Before entering a poker tournament, make sure you read and understand tournament rules.